Signal lamp



M. 1. STRASBEIIGER.

SIGNAL LAMP. APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, I92I- Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

[TED ST MAX 3'. s'rlmsnnasna or cnrcnso, rritruors.

Application filed may '23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX J. STRASBERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Lamps, of which the following is a specification. I

The present invention has to do with an improved form of signal, buthas reference more particularly to electrically lighted signals. The important object of theinven' tion is to provide a signal by which may be given an indication of one or more units" as desired by the operator.

The signal of the present invention is especially intended for use in theaters and'[ moving picture houses. When usedin such places, the signal is so constructed that the user can indicate the numberof vacant seats" available at a certain point.

Another object of the'invention is to provide a signalof this kind which is so constructed that the indication of the number of seats is givenby illuminating the correct number of lamps therein, as distinguished from an arrangement in which the ind ica-.

- tionisgiven by the display of a certain .nu-

, v meral. This distinction will be better apvpreciated when it is considered that it is much easier to clearly make out the number of separate illuminating units burning at a distance than it is to read a numeral with accuracy at the same distance unless said I numeral beso large as to be inconvenient for use in a relatively small signal.

Another object of the invention isto simplify the construction of the switch elements and provide a construction which ment or otherwise.

shall be very durable and at the same time cheap to manufacture. Another object is to provide: a shell for the battery which shall be .so constructed that the battery maybe very easily. inserted or removed-for replace- Other objects and uses I I will appear from a detailed description of the same, which consists in the features of construction. and combinations of parts hereinafter .describedand claimed.

fscale;

SIGNAL LAMP.

1921. Ser ia1No.4"71,816.

to F igurel and looking towards the hinged edge; w I I Fig. 3 showsa back face view correspond- -1ng to Figuresl and 2-; i

Fig. 4 shows a top view;

Fig.'5]shows' an edge viewlooking in the opposite'direction to Fig. 2;

I F g. 6 shows a bottom view;

Flg. 7 shows 'afragmentary vertical see- I tion' through oneof the, switch units being taken on line7-7 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and 'on'an enlarged 'Fig.8 shows a perspective view of a portlon of the double switch unit; and

I Fig. 9 showsa perspective view of a por t1on of the single switch unit.

The signal herein illustrated includes a case 10, the'body portionof which is split intotwo parts, which arehin'ged together along the edge 11. These two parts are split alOng the bottomof the case, as shown n F g. 6, and up the other'edge, as shown in Flg. 5, and across on the back face near the top, as shown at 12 in Fig. 3. The top portion 13 of the case is "integral with the front face 14, so that when the back face .15 1s opened away from the front face on the hinge 11, the top portion 13 remains sta- .tionary with respect to the front face 14:.

' A battery or electric cell 16 is setinto the body portion of the case and has one terminal l6 grounded on or connected to the bar'17.

. In the upper portion 13 of the case there aremo-unted a number oftlighting elements 18, 19, 2O and2l, eachof which comprises a small electric lamp screwed into a socket in the upper-portion 13, so that one terminal of eachlighting element is directly connected to the case itself and therefore to one terminal ofithebattery... of the invention Suitable switches are provided for illuminating one, twoor three of the lighting elements simultaneously, so that the user can give a corresponding indication of the number of seats available. These switches are manipulated by buttons 22 and 23. The button 22 operates a single switch to illuminate theelement 18; the button 23 operates a double switch'to illuminate the elements and '20; and when both of the buttons are Inanipulated together all three oftheelements 'llhe single switch :inoludesalsidewise proecting arm 28, QIlB 'QIlClQQ Qf WlliClL-iS folded around the central portion inf the corresponding member 524, ='f;1*0m-;which'it is insulated, she ve by a insulating sle ve 3 fi id arm?? h s an an v ning :3 whi receives the mock 32 ;o f -,-the corresponding switch button, which switch button is riveted thereto, ,as shown at 33 The double switch includesa cross bar 3.4, xwhose end ,portions 35 and are folded around the central parts-of the corresponding switch members 2 l,-;f rom which they are insulated y th n nl ti-ng s v 1and;: 8- n the m d l Qfth ross fibe 3 :is. a opening which receives the neck of the button 23 whi [is-r veted t eto iin i man-oe mil r t tha fih wniellig- V 1. ,gor'de t au omatical y re tat the switch lement at zt er peniir t po ition, 23 191 1 f them mental y-press dd wnwa d- ,ly y m an j t-a-i pringfwheii nenen 4 0f su he pri g'isecured o th ca e 1 andits free-endAQis forked and engages-the neck of the corresponding switch button. These lorks a. are clearly illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. .1. Suflicient flexibility ,is provided in .the springs to permit them to vbe easily 'manipulated by a finger on the switch button.

I have illustrated a fourth lighting element .21 in the present drawing. Ylf-hislighting t element when used may be cQn rolled by l ,a button 43 which operates avswitch similar i con t uct n to h se a l-re dy exp ain Thi fl qart lighti g lemen may h us either in realli iii in with heather-thre Or s para ely lQrd il a a y i wil be de rab e to provide it with abri -ght'larnp whichgnay wb use a sp light- EEh -i-lighting elel men .8, 219 and 20 wil rdifiarilyl urn lr lat teb" dim as .l t ,cI st m fih v l -entienge gthe pat on Poi the how. They ,may' furthermore be colored either the ,same or difi'erent colorsso QS'glJO further emphasize the indicatingofthenumber of'seats.

' The hinged leaf 15 of the case may be l c d shu in a y des r mann r, as, for

ample by the c ip As shown t e d ta en fi u e I a While I have herein shown and described a construction in which there are provided three lighting units which maybe illumin-ated in combinations of either one. two or three, and is also provided with another lightingunit which maybe used independently, still it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this or any other number of lightunits except asl may do so in the claims. iVhile I have herein shown and described only a single embodiment of the features of 1 the present invention, still I do not limit myself to said embodiment except as I may do so in the claims.

Iclaim: v i 1. A signalfor the purpose specified, comprising a relatively thin case having in its upper enda series of sockets for the reception ofelectric li hting elements having central contactssari sockets being grounded on the case, saidlcase having its lower portion split and hinged whereby one side of said lower portion may be openechan electric battery within said split portion of the case having oneofits terminals grounded on the, case, aQbusbar; connected to the other terminal of ,theRba-ttery and extending across the case parallel to the upper end of the battery, and

,a series of switch units located between said bus bar and the central contacts of the electrio. lightingelements, each switch unit including a buttonslidably mounted in one .Lface of the case at a point between the bus 'bar and the lighting elements, a U-shaped ,flexlble member of conductingmaterial, an operating electrical insulating connection betweeneach button and the corresponding U- shaped ,member, the arms'of the U-shaped member lying respectively below the bus bar and below the central contact of the corresponding lighting element, and a spring-haw ;.ing one end connected to the casing and its other end working in conjunction with one of the switch buttons to normally depress the same and thereby carry the arms of the ,U-shaped member away from the contact of the-lighting element and the bus bar respectively, substantially as described.

2. A signal for the purpose specified, comprising a. case havingin its upper end a serieso'fsockets for the reception of electric ght g ement hav ng ne tral conta -s v:savldr o i belnggrounded nthepa e, id

case having its lower portion split and hingedwh reby one side o said lower porionmey b pen d; an e ct c ba e y wi in said split portion of the case havingrone of itsterminals grounded on the case, a bus bar connected to the other terminal of the battery and extending across the case par. allel to the upperlend of the battery, and a seriesof switch unitslocated between said bus bar and'the central contacts of the electric. lighting elements, each switchunit in- ,filll lillg a but on .slid b mount d in n face of the case, a U-shaped flexible-member of conducting material, and an loperating electrical insulating connection between each button and the corresponding U-shaped member, the arms of the U-shaped member lying respectively below the bus bar and below the central contact of the correspond: ing lighting element, substantially as described.

3. A signal for the purpose specified, comprising a case having in its upper end a series of sockets for the reception of electric lighting elements having central contacts, said sockets being grounded on the case, said case having its lower portion split and hinged whereby one side of said lower-portion may be opened, an electric battery within said split portion of the case having one of its terminals grounded on the case, a bus bar connected to the other terminal of the battery and extending across the case parallel to the upper end of the battery, and a series of switch units located between said bus bar and the central contacts of the elect ic lighting elements, said switch units serving selectively to effect contact with the central contacts of the selected lighting elements as desired substantially as described.

41. A signal for the purpose specified, comprising a case having in its upper portion a series of sockets for the. reception of electric lighting elements having central contacts, said sockets being grounded on the case, an electric battery within the lower portion of the case having one of its terminals grounded on the case, a bus bar connected to the other terminal of the battery and extending across the case parallel to the upper end of the battery, and a series of switch units in one side of the case serving to selectively effect connection between said bus bar and the central contacts of the electric lighting elements, substantially as described.

MAX J. STRASBERGER. 

